CIVIL CEREMONY #13
FULFILLMENT
PRESENTATION OF THE BRIDE
_(Bride)_ is about to pledge her faith, love and loyalty to _(Groom)_ .
Is there one of her family who is prepared to present her to him?
Father or other designate: “I commit _(Bride)_ into your love and care.”
OPENING REMARKS TO GUESTS
A wedding is that occasion when a man and a woman publicly proclaim their love and declare their commitment to one another. By its very nature it is both a solemn and a happy event. For some of you gathered here, this ceremony will prompt a flood of personal memories, for others of you it will set in motion dreams and aspirations. For all of us it will be a sharing in a most intimate and love-filled moment in the lives of two people we know and appreciate. But for _(Bride)_ and _(Groom)_ who stand here before us, this ceremony will be an act of participation in what they believe to be their destiny in this life.
They are both pleased and honored that you have responded to their invitation to share these happy and sacred moments with them.
REMARKS TO THE COUPLE
_(Bride)_ and _(Groom)_ , the moment to which you have looked forward has now come. As a company of family and friends, we have at your invitation, assembled in this place to witness the public exchange of your vows of commitment to each other. We are thankful for the gift of life, for family and friends, and for the love that exists between you.
_(Bride)_ and _(Groom)_, there are no obligations on earth sweeter or more tender than those you are about to assume. There are no vows more solemn than those you are about to make. There is no human institution more sacred than that of the home you are about to form. This day is made possible not only because of your love for each other, but through the grace and support of your family and friends. It is our hope that your fulfillment and joy in each other will increase with each passing year.
Marriage is a commitment in life, where two people can find and bring out the very best in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other human relationship can equal, a physical and emotional joining that has the promise of a lifetime.
DECLARATION
_(Bride)_ and _(Groom)_ , by your previously announced engagement, you have already made public your intention to be married today. Til now, no one of your acquaintances has shown any just legal, moral or religious cause why you may not now be married, nor have you yourselves declared any impediment. If any knows of any reason why you may not be lawfully joined in marriage, they must speak it now or forever hold their peace.
THE PLEDGE
So that your faith and integrity of purpose may appear to all of us who have assembled, would you, _(Groom)_ , respond to these questions?
_(Groom)_ do you purpose in your heart and mind to live with _(Bride)_ according to a genuine marriage commitment? Do you purpose to love her, honour her and be faithful to her in times of personal need and personal blessing? Do you pledge, to the best of your ability, to seek to establish and maintain honest, open and loving communication between yourself and _(Bride)_ ? Forsaking all others, do you promise to remain faithful to _(Bride)_ as long as you both live? / Answer: I do.
And _(Bride)_ , so that your faith and integrity of purpose may appear to all of us who have assembled, would you respond to these questions?
_(Bride)_ do you purpose in your heart and mind to live with _(Groom)_ according to a genuine marriage commitment? Do you purpose to love him, honour him and be faithful to him in times of personal need and personal blessing? Do you pledge, to the best of your ability, to seek to establish and maintain honest, open and loving communication between yourself and _(Groom)_ ? Forsaking all others, do you promise to remain faithful to _(Groom)_ as long as you both live? / Answer: I do.
In that you have publicly stated your willingness to receive each other as partners in marriage will you hear the counsel concerning marriage and love?
LOVE DEFINED
This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience;
it looks for a way of being constructive.
It is not possessive;
It Is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish Inflated ideas of its own importance.
Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage.
It is not touchy.
It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people.
On the contrary, it Is glad with all good men when truth prevails.
Love knows no limit to its endurance,
no end to its trust,
no fading of Its hope;
It can outlast anything.
It Is, In fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.
(I Corinthians 13:4-7 JBP)
“for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one.” (Matthew 19:4-6)
COUNSEL TO WEDDING GUESTS
In recognition of the part that family and friends have had in their lives to this point, and in affirmation of their desire publicly to declare their mutual commitment to marriage, _(Bride)_ and _(Groom)_ have invited you to this ceremony. By our presence here we have committed ourselves to be more than just observers of the acts of people we know. We are in fact accepting responsibility for supporting, enriching and encouraging _(Bride)_ and _(Groom)_ in the new relationship into which they are about to enter.
Marriage as the foundation of a healthy society, and as a part of the society in which _(Groom)_ and _(Bride)_ shall live, we are called upon to be thankful when they experience happiness, to be understanding when they err, to assist them in times of difficulties and to be prayerful at all times for their well-being. Let us not dismiss this marriage as just another happy occasion in which we have been privileged to share. Instead, let us resolve to make _(Groom)_ and _(Bride)_ very much a part of our every day lives.
GUIDANCE TO COUPLE
Marriage is designed so that the very needs and traits that characterize you as man and woman should find fulfillment and purpose in the wholesomeness of sustained commitment to each other. Yet by this commitment there should be not intention that the individuality of one should be consumed by the other. On the contrary, what you are and do as an individual can and will either enhance your life together or do it harm. As you grow more loving, more mature and add wisdom to your individual lives, you do so for each other. As you add faith, virtue, patience and humility to your individual lives, you will in fact add the same ingredients to the character and life of your mate. This unity and individuality for which you must strive, will not be created only by romance, but rather by resolute love, reinforced with commitment that runs deeper than momentary feelings; and a faithfulness more sturdy than mere pleasantness in relationships. As you embark on this experience of seeking to become one in mind, body and spirit, you will need a love that is self-sacrificing. Only as you are able to capture that quality of love, will you truly grow in your marriage relationships.
In a few moments you will seek publicly to acknowledge your purposes in your marriage and you will declare your mutual commitment to each other and these goals. I, therefore, challenge you to think often and seriously of the spiritual intentions you possess this day. May they ever be clear to you, a vision, a hope, a driving force in your lives together. May they keep you from the lust for earthly power, the longing for personal success or the unreasonable desire for possessions which can so thoroughly destroy your union. May you intend always to be open, honest, loving and communicative with one another in all facets of your life together. And may love prevail in all of your relationships.
PRE-VOW BLESSING
_(Bride)_ and _(Groom)_ as you exchange your marriage vows in the few brief moments of this ceremony, you will publicly declare your intention to commit your lives and your love to one another for a life time. We pledge that we will join you in witness to this union, and will support you in the years to come in the fulfilling of the vows they are about to make.
THE VOWS
_(Bride)_ , will you please give your bouquet to your maid of honour?
As an expression of your willingness to engage in these obligations and as a seal of the sacred vows you are about to make, will you face one another and join your right hands.
_(Groom)_ , would you please repeat your vows after me to your bride?
_(Bride)_ , with joy and in love
I take you to be my wife,
to be the mother of my children,
and the companion of my days.
I promise to share with you
in whatever happiness or sadness,
abundance or want,
adversity or blessing
that may be a part of our lives.
I intend that our lives
should together be woven
into a single tapestry
of love and mutual concern
for as long as we both remain alive.
_(Bride)_ , would you also please repeat your vows to you groom?
_(Groom)_ , with joy and in love
I take you to be my husband,
to be the father of my children,
and the companion of my days.
I promise to share with you
in whatever happiness or sadness,
abundance or want,
adversity or blessing
that may be a part of our lives.
I intend that our lives
should together be woven
into a single tapestry
of love and mutual concern
for as long as we both remain alive.
EXCHANGE OF RINGS
May I have the rings please?
Wedding rings are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual truths. As they are worn, they symbolize to others your union in marriage. The rings in no way become the binding force that unites, for that is a matter between two hearts.
_(Groom)_, as you place your ring on your bride’s finger, would you please repeat your vows after me to _(Bride)_ ?
This ring I give you
represents the unending love
which I pledge to you.
It represents my intention
to honor you with my body
and to share all my worldly goods with you.
May it at all times
visibly serve to remind you
of my solemn vows to you
on this day of our marriage.
_(Bride)_ , as you place your ring on your groom’s finger, would you please repeat your vows after me to _(Groom)_ ?
(Bride’s choice)
This ring I give you
is an expression of,
and a pledge of
my constant faith
and abiding love.
OR
This ring I give you
represents the unending love
which I pledge to you.
It represents my intention
to honor you with my body
and to share all my worldly goods with you.
May it at all times
visibly serve to remind you
of my solemn vows to you
on this day of our marriage.
DECLARATION OF MARRIAGE
For as much as you _(Groom)_ and you _(Bride)_ have exchanged marriage vows in this company, and have sealed those vows by the exchange of rings, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Province of Ontario, I declare you to be husband and wife. Let all others honor your decision and the threshold of your home.
You may kiss the bride.
BLESSING FOR THE COUPLE
_(Groom)_ and _(Bride)_ have just committed themselves to undertake the most solemn and sacred obligation known to mankind. We who have witnessed and participated in this ceremony are conscious of their needs for help as they seek honorably and lovingly to fulfill their commitments. It is our earnest desire that the love that they have mutually pledged be so enriched that it may never falter or grow cold, no matter what their life experiences. May the wisdom and insight which is now theirs be enhanced by a growing wisdom that they might clearly discern and choose the right path for living. May the strength and endurance that comes from leaning on each other offer to them protection on their course of life and afford them the spiritual and physical resources they will require in their daily pursuit of love, happiness and fulfillment. May the faithfully communicated understanding, forgiveness, trust, hope, kindness, mercy, honesty, openness and love in their relationship with each other and with all others. May the home they establish be blessed with peace, and the family that may be added to them know physical and spiritual well-being.
SIGNING OF THE REGISTER
SPECIAL MUSIC
PRESENTATION OF THE BRIDE AND GROOM
It is my privilege and pleasure to present to you the newly married couple, Mr. and Mrs. ———— .
RECESSIONAL
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